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The Paris Agreement is an historic turning point in global action on climate change. This universal pact sets the world on a course to a zero-carbon, resilient, prosperous and fair future. While the Agreement is not enough by itself to solve the problem. it places us clearly on the path to a truly global solution.

The WRI Europe office represents the World Resources Institute in Europe. Based in The Hague and led by WRI Europe Director Kitty van der Heijden, WRI Europe works to increase the Institute’s global impact by fostering innovative partnerships, sharing WRI research findings, and ensuring that WRI learns from European insights and experience in development and environmental protection. WRI Europe also actively engages with bilateral donors, foundations and other partners to mobilize funding to support our work.

The European Union plays a key role in promoting sustainable development, within Europe and on the global stage. WRI Europe engages with European partners to advance shared goals.

The WRI Europe Director led WRI’s global engagement on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, helping to foster consensus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at the United Nations in September 2015. Activities included organizing informal retreats for negotiators in partnership with the Independent Research Forum (IRF). WRI Europe also facilitated the involvement of WRI’s experts at the COP 21 climate conference in Paris that led to the historic Paris Agreement.
Looking ahead, WRI Europe will work with partners to help ensure policy coherence in the implementation of the SDGs, fulfill the international ambitions on climate targets and reach broad consensus on a new paradigm for sustainable growth.

Conflict in the Middle East and Africa is driving a human tsunami that has sent 500,000 people into Europe this year in the worst migration crisis since World War II. Beyond the conflict, however, there is another contributing factor: water scarcity.

The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals aim to eradicate poverty and spur economic growth while respecting planetary boundaries. Now world leaders face the difficult task of putting them into action.

The new Sustainable Development Goals, set to be finalized this September, pose a challenge: How do we make sure that all of those responsible follow through on them? In a voluntary agenda, how do we inject accountability?